Globe & Mail: Yallop decries lack of CSA plan

[Grizzly]

Coaching internationally can really further your career even with a lesser nation. If he made demands when he was hired they certainly were not realized. I suspect he didn't make demands but if he did and the CSA did not fulfill them why did he not say something then. Considering Yallop had the offer from LA (and probably some previous MLS offers before that) why did he not make an ultimatum before jumping to LA? Holger actually never shied away from pointing out the many failings of the CSA both while he was coach and after he was sacked. I can't say I agree with everything he said (though I do agree with most of it) but he certainly was never afraid to speak his mind and said far more than Yallop did. Holger had problems because was too extreme with discipline and difficult to get along with and I don't have a problem with him getting fired when he did. However, I respect that he spoke his mind and was a competent and honest coach. When we fail to qualify because a coach makes decisions that are absolutely incompetent and unethical, it is hard for me to give him the benefit of the doubt when he makes statements blaming other things for his failures. Why is it with Yallop that all of the statements always occured after he lost/didn't qualify/quit? If these things were problems he should have noticed them before games were played and tried to correct them. I don't want to debate this endlessly since it really doesn't matter now. However, from my point of view we have a coach who failed us on so many levels complaining about problems he did very little to fix while he was in the position. Nor is he saying anything groundbreaking but rather things that even a casual observer of the program should notice.

[redhat]

No one really knows what transpired between Yallop and the CSA, except for Yallop and

the CSA brass. Judging by Frank's comments, on face value, there still exists deep

problems at the CSA. The number of friendlies, poor preparation, and limited resources

to be allocated amongst ALL programs are unimaginable. If less than $1 million per year

is allocated to the MNT program, what quality of team do we intend to field? What

kind of coach can we hire? How many friendlies/matches can we afford to play?

Yet we all kinda knew this was the case. Yallop's frustrations with CSA finally did him.

[The Beaver]

As for Hooper v. Yallop. Guess who has more clout? The soccer star with a "brand name" or the small town coach? Plus, I don't think grandstanding is Yallop's style. And like Redhat mentioned, we don't know the full picture. Sometimes, when you consistently hit a brick wall with your employer or spouse etc, you simply decide to get out rather than fight. Perhaps this is what happened. Or perhaps it was pure opportunism.

Freekick (Tony) -- not sure if you were taking aim at me with your comment about the vaguaries of what is meant by "vision"--I suspect not--but if you want me to elucidate, I'll do so. In part, at least, my comment about the vision that is leading Australia forward should provide some clue as to what I'm getting at.

[canso]

Perhaps we should all congratulate Mr. Pipe for having the vision to recognize that there is no point in Canada having a Men's National Team.

In the age of the global village in a country where everybody is from somewhere else and the ties that bind are tenuous at best, the only outcome is a growing succession of Hargreaves and DeGuzman types taking their skills elsewhere as soon as they're good enough.

Take the money and invest in Women's soccer, they at least have a chance of winning something.

It's no longer a man's game.

[Free kick]

quote:Originally posted by The Beaver

Freekick (Tony) -- not sure if you were taking aim at me with your comment about the vaguaries of what is meant by "vision"--I suspect not--but if you want me to elucidate, I'll do so. In part, at least, my comment about the vision that is leading Australia forward should provide some clue as to what I'm getting at.

No No absolutely not. I was not taking aim at you ( trust me) regarding this issue but rather certain others who have nothing else to say other than time and time again complain about Kevan Pipe and/or the CSA. I am talking about the types where, after reading the board for long time, you come to seriously suspect that their views ( calling views is very generous) stem not from the standpoint of fan, supporter, follower of the game etc etc but rather some perosnal agenda.

[RJB]

quote:Originally posted by analyst

The fault isn't all Pipe's - lets not forget the elected Executive people like past Presidents Andy nice guy Sharpe and Jim Fleming, who spent many years on the Board. The buck stops at the top - the Presidents. We can't just blame the top staff person.

The comment about Australia is intriguing. Hiddink did wonders with them, and the Australian Football Assoc took a chance by agreeing to pay Hiidink big money. The funny thing is that when Hiidink took over he cancelled many of the friendlies that were planned, and instead took the players to training camps to make them more fit. It still cost Australia a lot to run the camps, therefore there was a commitment. How many Canadian MNT players would willingly go to Canadian camps for fitness training, and how may would say that club commitments prevent them from attending?

What happened in Australia that gave the players a desire to join the team for fitness was a complete overhaul. They folded the previous Association, and started completely anew, with a new name, a new logo, and a new vision (there's the magic word). They were committed from the start. Part of that vision was to move Australia into the Asian section rather than Oceania.

They had leadership, and the players could clearly see that. If Canada were to, from the top, put together a comprehensive plan, guys like Stalteri, and Radz would have no problem backing it.

[Grizzly]

quote:What exactly did Hooper have to lose by making demands? What exactly did Arena have to lose by making the comments he did when it was pretty evident that he was going to be let go?

Doesn't Hooper receive Canadian government funding as an elite athlete which would be lost if she quit the national team? I don't know how else Hooper makes a living or what she receives in federal funding but it seems to me with the limited amount of income available in women's soccer that she stood too risk significantly more than Yallop did. If Yallop was willing to jump to the MLS anyway as he did do, what is any different about his situation and Arena's? Neither had anything to lose.

[DoyleG]

Most of the WNT are carded athletes.

[Joe Keeper]

Even though I dont usually like them Im not usually a CSA basher. However Kevin "crack" Pipes responce is just f'in frustrating. The fact that he used the FIFA international Calender as an excuse is just proof he knows that Yallop is right. I think that is prooved when he tries to convince Mallet that Money is not an issue. The man has used funding as a reason more times than I care to count. The guy cant even deliver on his "10 to 12 games" a year.

Perhaps others will disagree, but I believe we should be playing just about any CONCACAF oposition, just to accustomize our program to the region. I would have rather seen our boys play a friendly against St. Vincent and the Grenadines or Nicaragua in August than nothing at all, befor the Jamaica series.

I applaud the CSA for getting the stadium done. Perhaps most of them should have gone out on a high note?

For those of you say Yallop should have realized the state of the program he was coming into, dont you think it is reasonable for any coach to come in and want and try to improve things, especially if he knows how bad they are?

[Gian-Luca]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

My problem with these comments is why are they coming now several months after he abandoned the program. What he should have done is stated publicly he was going to leave the post if he didn't get more games instead of simply abandoning ship once a better offer came.

I would agree with this. These comments would be more effective if they came from someone still within the program, rather than a former member of it.

[RJB]

quote:Originally posted by Joe Keeper

I applaud the CSA for getting the stadium done. Perhaps most of them should have gone out on a high note?

Yes, but where is the CSA in terms of the parks being built in Montreal and Vancouver? Obviously they don't have the finances to be helping out, but they could have offered stronger vocal support, especially considering the debauchery we've been witnessing in Vancouver.

[CSAisajoke]

The common thread of Canada's failure on the pitch-- is the CSA executive and infrastructure.

Appointing Stephen Hart as coach, even for a shot period, is a joke. I mean the guy's claim to fame is that he coach a provincal Canada games team. WOW. And yet- some voyaguers here continue to stand up for the CSA brass and think Dale Mitchell with his ZERO experience coaching at the pro level will somehow get us were Holger and Yallops failed.

I personally think it's time to start wearing paper bags on our heads when we go to games. Imagine England hiring a guy whose claim to fame was that he coached a school boys team in Essex.

It's a farce and to defend it is to support it.

We need games, not a Fieldturf pitch in Toronto. We need more funding for our National Men's team, the CSA is no shape to be giving cash to MLSE to get involved with a single MLS team. We need to put our men's teams ahead of our women's team n terms of funding.

Had the CSA been run right, the real soccer people like Bates, Holger and Yallops wouldn't be running the other way.

WAKE UP VOYAGEURS. Revolution starts with you.

[SeanKeay]

You better watch out bud.... the hash on the east coast is going to be hard to find starting today

[Robert]

When is it enough Canada. This twenty year reign of King Pipe has to come to an end. Our supreme commander of soccer affairs, the Chief Operating Office, or whatever he chooses to call himself today, is the main reason for Canada's pathetic status internationally, nationally, provincially and locally. He doesn't feel the need to hire a permanent replacement for Frank Yallop untill next year. Those are Kevan Pipe's words, the lead hired hand, not any elected official. When next year, January? Or knowing Kevan, it will more than likely be December of 2007. In other words the Men's Senior National Soccer Program is going to get put on the back-burner for a long time. That's unacceptable preparation for the 2010 World Cup and totally against what the CSA promised Canadians after our dismal failure during the last campaign. We were going to play more internationals, many more and starting right away. Yet another lie dished out to prolong Kevan's reign. Yes the U20's and Women's World Cup teams are very important parts of Canadian soccer, but they can not be placed ahead of the senior Men's team. All the teams need year round support and leadership from the CSA, and in black and white, non of them are getting it. People who care about Canadian soccer need to unite and oust Kevan Pipe from power.

[Joe Keeper]

quote:Originally posted by RJB

Yes, but where is the CSA in terms of the parks being built in Montreal and Vancouver? Obviously they don't have the finances to be helping out, but they could have offered stronger vocal support, especially considering the debauchery we've been witnessing in Vancouver.

That is a good point and I think you are right. In the midst of all the BS games that go on in Canadian soccer, I just count the fact that we actually finally got even one stadium a miracle. It is a small victory accompanying the many other faces of CSA domestic failures.

I really hope that Montreal and Vancouver get better backing in the future. If this happens, more cities may aspire to SSS's down the road.

[sj]

excuses for Lack of games

before Kevin Pipe excuses was that FIFA did not have a unified international calendar.

Now the calendar is the nain reason why we cant play so many games.

was the lack of games and fitness prior to women olympic qualifying also a direct result of FIFA unified international calendar too.

how many games did Canada played compared to Guatemala,our first opponent in wcq during the EURO?

was the EURO the reason why we could not provide our MNT with the necessary games to prepare for Guatemala.

if the teams that Guatemala played to prepare against Canada good enough for them then they should have been good enough to prepare us too.

out of those ten games that Pipe want to provide the MNT how many of those would be against European team on European soil team a style and place we will never play against in rael competition unless we make it to the big stage.

how many of those ten games will be played in Canada?

how many will be played in Toronto?

how many of those games will be use by the rookie coach to indentify and evaluate potential MNT prospect.

how many of those ten games would be use by the rookie coach to assembled his best 15 players to give them a chance to gel as a unit?

how many of those ten games will be use to put in practice strategies,formations and combinations.

looks to me Kevin Pipe does not have a clue what is reaquire to run a national program

stupid me I thought he was getting paid to find solutions

obviously he is getting paid for finding excuses and very good at it.

under proper leadership our men's team should be in the top 25 constantly and our WNT should be in the top six which will soon be surpassed by Mexico both at the Junior and senior level.

[Ruud]

Been a while since I've been on the board, but nice to hear so many opinions. I'm in Africa now, so it has been harder to follow things but I was surprised to learn that Yallop left the team, especially since I thought it was his goal all along to lead the team to 2010. I think we'd all agree that this is a fully attainable goal for the MNT - given what we saw with T&T and Australia we can even put in some decent results. But quite honestly, Yallop has given an easy excuse to leave the CSA and his team and take a job that in all likelihood he enjoys more and is financially more lucrative. That's the bottom line. I don't think there's been a falling out or anything except a guy who didn't like this job. And if he doesn't like it, we should find someone who does. I fully agree with those who contend that he knew what he was getting into, and if he REALLY wanted more friendlies, he should at least raise a stink (and leak to the press) as much, particularly during the World Cup when everyone is wondering "where are the friendlies and the MNT" I suspect Pipe and co. were blindsided by this resignation.

I reported on this website back in 2004 while I was in Guatemala that the Guatemaltecos were training basically all summer long prior to the first qualifier, including camps held in California so that Ruiz could join whilst playing with the Galaxy. And then there were at least 4 friendlies prior to the match in Burnaby. If Yallop had hoped for more friendlies, as he should have, he could have made that known earlier.

In the meantime, we get a Canadian backer in the MLS who will help some youngsters leading up to Toronto. That's not the worst outcome for us. Now, we just need the right person to throw into the fire who can rally the troops and bring the lads together

[Observer]

quote:Originally posted by CSAisajoke

The common thread of Canada's failure on the pitch-- is the CSA executive and infrastructure.

Appointing Stephen Hart as coach, even for a shot period, is a joke. I mean the guy's claim to fame is that he coach a provincal Canada games team. WOW. And yet- some voyaguers here continue to stand up for the CSA brass and think Dale Mitchell with his ZERO experience coaching at the pro level will somehow get us were Holger and Yallops failed.

I personally think it's time to start wearing paper bags on our heads when we go to games. Imagine England hiring a guy whose claim to fame was that he coached a school boys team in Essex.

It's a farce and to defend it is to support it.

We need games, not a Fieldturf pitch in Toronto. We need more funding for our National Men's team, the CSA is no shape to be giving cash to MLSE to get involved with a single MLS team. We need to put our men's teams ahead of our women's team n terms of funding.

Had the CSA been run right, the real soccer people like Bates, Holger and Yallops wouldn't be running the other way.

WAKE UP VOYAGEURS. Revolution starts with you.

I have no problem with the appointment in the Interim. After all Hart is on the coaching staff, has been part of the senior team, under Yallop and has coached at the U17 and U20 National team level, so he knows the players well. But I agree with some things that you said. The CSA is not run right at the Board level and Pipe is a proven incompetent. The fact is they cannot afford a top level coach and even if they could they will not be able to provide him with games.

Those who believe women football successful or not will bring recognition to Canada do not have a clue about the global game. All of Europe and South America see women's football as curious interest, but really they do not care less (sorry but its the truth)

[Loud Mouth Soup]

No matter how you disguise it, you always know it's G-Man.

[The Beaver]

Yes, and he suppose he thinks he's crafty, too. Is G-Man the same dude formerly known, among other things, as SoccerBeast. He writes just as well and exhibits many of the trademark expressions and analytical accuities.

One note: Mitchell has indeed coached at the pro-level (okay, semi-pro) and won Coach of the Year for his efforts. (Or have I got this wrong?)

[Daniel]

I doubt they're the same, unless one person takes a conscious decision to write two different ways. The Beast is now on Bigsoccer.

[Daniel]

I doubt they're the same, unless one person takes a conscious decision to write two different ways. The Beast is now on Bigsoccer.

[Luis_Rancagua]

What's the point of launching a revolution against the CSA establishment. We could scream and protest all we want, but nothing is going to change. Com'on, we've being doing this for the last 8-10 years and Dictator Pipe is still in power. I've lost all hope in the CSA and its National program (which is a complete joke). Go to any pub in my area, and people laugh at me when they see me wearing the Canadian National jersey. In fact, my students prefer to wear the U.S. jersey rather than Canada for reasons that they think Canada is a joke. I've also lost hope that pro-soccer, open cup competition, participation in the CONCACAF Club Championship, etc... will ever have a chance in this country, unless their are serious changes coming straight from the top. For one thing, we could all start by giving Pipe his walking papers or his retirement package.